Poem for Colin - 24 - James K. Baxter

Poem for Colin – 24
- James K. Baxter

The kids here don't shout out, 'Jesus!'
Or, 'Hullo, Moses!' as they did in Auckland

When they saw my hair - these ones are too polite -
They call me Mr Baxter when they bring the milk;

I almost wish they didn't; but Sister has them well trained -
And soon she wants me to give them a talk about drugs;

What should I say? - 'Childre, your mothers and your fathers
Get stoned on grog; in Auckland they get stoned on pot;

It does no harm at all, as far as I know
From smoking it; but the big firms are unloading

Pep pills for slimming, tablets for sleeping,
On the unlucky world - those ones can drive you mad -

Money and prestige are worse drugs than morphine' -
That way I'd hit the target; but I doubt if the nuns would think it
wise.




O'Sullivan, V. (Ed.). (1979). An anthology of twentieth century New Zealand poetry. Wellington: Oxford University Press.